Chinese Inventions

Compass

The Chinese used lodestone, a magnetic rock, to make a compass. This force was controlled by the Earth's magnetic poles.

-150 BCE

Paper

The earliest piece of paper was most likely made from hemp and the bark of the mulberry tree.

50

Porcelain

Porcelain is made by combining quartz and feldspar. To combine the minerals are baked at an extremely high temperature. Later on the Chinese began further making on this item to make it an item of beauty.

650

Printing

The printer would create symbols onto paper. They would then glue the paper to a wooden block, and when it dried, the printer would carve the symbols out of the wood. After, the printer would cover the symbols in black ink.

750

Tea

Though tea used for medicine for a very long time, it started being used as a regular drink in the 8th century. This drink then became a very popular beverage throughout China.

800

Paper Money

Before paper money, people used coins for exchange. Paper money was printed form wood blocks. Later on they improved their way of money by using multiple wood blocks to print wood.

850

Gunpowder

Chinese alchemists accidentally discovered gunpowder when they were looking for the secret to eternal life.

850

Game Cards

It's common that you come across a deck of cards. These cards were created by the Chinese back in the 9th century. The Chinese would use wooden blocks to make the cards thick, and have famous artists who illustrated the fronts of the cards.

1000

Rocket Technology

During the Song Dynasty, (960-1127) the Chinese created Rocket Technology, which was powered by black powder. This powder consisted of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. From the beginning, these rockets were only used for fireworks, but overtime, the Chinese began to use them as weapons.